Mineral wool apparatus



Feb. 13, 1945.

E. R. POWELL.

MINERAL WOOL APPARATUS 9, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec.

INVENTOR Eon/A20 P; P WEL BY/(/\ a A TORNEY 9 1945' E. R. POWELL v MINERAL WOOL APPARATUS Filed Dec. 9, 1941 2 SheetsSheet 2 INVENTOR LED/464,?!) E aws/.4.

Patented Feb. 13,1945

PATENT OFFICE WOOL APPARATUS Edward R. Powell, North Plainfield, N. .L, aulgnor to Johns-Manville Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application December 9, 1941, Serial No. 422,289

. Claims.

The present invention relates to an apparatus for use the production of mineral wool and particularly to an improved apparatus for the separation of fibres and unfiberized particles. The term mineral wool. is employed herein in a generic sense to include fibres formed of slag, rock,- glass and the like, and mixtures of such raw materials.

In the manufacture of mineral 'wool it is now conventional to first form a melt of the selected raw material such as a silicate composition derived largely from blast furnace slag or rock, the melting means usually comprising a furnace of the cupola type. The molten material is discharged from the melting furnace in the form of a relatively small stream at a temperature of about 2400 F. in front of a blast of steam or air at high pressure, with theresult that the stream is shredded into a larger proportion of fibres and a lesser proportion of unfiberized particles, conventionally termed shot." Usually the fibres are of a diameter, say, between 0.0001 inch and 0.0002 inch, and the shot particles are of a diameter, say, between 0.005 inch and 0.060 inch. The fibres and unfiberized particles are carried at a high velocity as a suspension in the aseous stream set up by the steam blast into a settling chamber in which the fibres are allowed to settle in felted relationship with the shot intermingled therein.

In view of the well-recognized disadvantages of the presence of any large percentage of shot in thefinished felted .material, attempts have heretofore been, made to separate the shot and remove it from the felting zone. this efi'ect have included the provision of a blow tube for conveying the suspension to a felting means, the blow tube having a shot trap for receiving a portion of the shot. Also, baiiles have been placed in the path of the suspension against which the shot strikes and is prevented from entering the felting zone. The instant invention has for its primary object the provision of an improved apparatus for shot separation which will provide more positive operation and a greater degree of separation than has heretofore been obtainable, as well as avoiding the difflculties and disadvantages of previous proposals.

As pointed out above, the shot is of relatively great diameter as compared to 'the fibres; for example, it may be to 100 times as large. As a consequence, although the fibres cool very rapidly and, in fact, are solid almost immediately after formation, the shot retains its molten and adhesive character for some considerable space Proposals to of travel in the stream. Also, due to the size of the shot, it has considerable momentum and will impingeon an object placed in its path although the obiect is of sufficient size to deflect the air or steam blast and at least most of the fibres carried therein. has for a further object the provision of an apparatus employing the above-referred-to factors for the separation of the greater proportion of the shot from the suspension.

A still further object of the invention is the the provision of an apparatus of the type referred to which will build up the recovered shot in the form of masses or briquettes which may be recovered and employed as a portion of the charge in further operations of the cupola or other melting furnace.

My invention will be more fully understood and further objects and advantages thereof will become apparent when reference is made to the more detailed description thereof which is to follow and to the accompanying drawings, in

which:

Fig. 1 is a view, partly in elevation and partly in section, illustrating the instant invention in conjunction with conventional portions of a min eral wool forming apparatus;

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the apparatus of the invention with portions broken away for clearness of illustration;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view ,taken on a line 3-4 of Fig, 1 and looking in the direction indicated by the arrows;

Fig. 4 is a detail view partially in section, and

*on an enlarged scale, of a portion of'the apparatus;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of an enlarged scale taken on a line I-5 of Fig. 3, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows;

Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view on an enlarged scale of an element of the apparatus; and

Fig. '7 is a view similar to Fig. 1 illustrating a somewhat modified form of the invention.

Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, there-is shown an apparatus comprising a melting furnace ill of the cupola type. It will be understood, however, that any othersuitable type of melting furnace, such as a tank furnace, may be employed. The cupola includes a discharge opening l2 through which a stream ll of the molten mineral wool forming material is drawn from the furnace and falls to a stream splitter or the like It and from thence into the path of a high velocity steam or air blast issuing from a nozzle II. The steam blast The instant invention shreds the stream 14 into a great multiplicity or fine fibres and shot of greater size the fibres and shot being suspended in a moving stream of fluid medium set up by the steam blast. Y

Adjacent the furnace II, and in a position to receive the fiuid gaseous stream in which the fibres and shot are suspended, is a settling chamber 20. Suitably the chamber-includes a continuousl'y moving conveyor or belt 22, in accordance with conventional practice, on which the fibres settle in interfelted relationship.

' face of the drum. As illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2,'

the upper portion of the drum surface constitutes the lower wall of what may be termed an entrance port, the upper wall being defined by plate rality of flaps, are hingedly mounted as at "and I8 respectively, with their ends riding freely on interfelted relationship upon conveyor 22. The

shot having greater momentum than the fibres, as previously pointed out, is not influenced to a great extent by the shift in movement of the air stream and travels straight ahead until it strikes the surface of the drum. In view of its molten or semi-molten and adhesive character at this point in its travel, it adheres to the surface of the drum in the pockets formed between lu'gs ll of adjacent bars 58 and builds up into masses as the drum is slowly rotated, say. at a speed of l foot per minute. It will be understood that .the particular speed is not critical; and will be l8. Shields 32 and 34, each comprising a pluthe surface of the drum. The drum, except that portion exposed at the entrance port, is'suitably housed by back and bottom walls 40 and 4| respectively'and side walls 43 all preferably supported by frame work as illustrated, M

Drum 30 is keyed or otherwise secured to a hollow shaft 42 mounted for rotation in suitable bearings 44 and driven from any source of power, for example. motor 46, in the direction indicated by the arrows. That portion of hollow shaft 42 within the drum in is provided with a plurality of apertures or perforations 46. A pipe 48, for delivering a cooling medium such as water to the interior. of shaft 42 and from thence through V the perforations 48 to the interior of the drum,

extends through a suitable packing or stufilng box 50 into the hollow shaft and is connected through line 52 to any suitable source of supply. Drum 30 is made up of heads 54 held in assembled relationship by any suitable means, such as elements 56. The surface of the drum in its preferred form comprises a plurality of bars 58 (see particularly Figs. 4, 5 and 6) with their edges lying in contiguous relationship. The bars include end pintles 60 resting in notches 62 in the drum heads. Notches 62 are formed to include a cen tral bearing point 64 (see Fig. 4) whereby the bars may rock thereon as will later be described. Each of the bars 58 has actuating ears or cam provided with abutments or lugs 68, the lugs of adjacent bars forming between them a pocket to receive and retain shot in the form of'builtup masses, as will later be described. The abut-- ments are formed in relatively short offset sections as illustrated. v

1 At any suitable location remote from the place of entrance of the strean of fibres and shot to the blow chamber, there is provided a roll or wheel 10 arranged to ride on the lugs 86. Wheel 10 is suitably mounted on a swinging arm 12 and is spring pressed toward the surface of the drum.

In the operation of the apparatus described above, the stream or blast of fibres and shot impinge against the rotating surface of drum 30 as the stream enters the blow chamber. The surface of-the drum deflects the blast upwardly,

as indicated in Fig. 1, carrying the fibres into" the blow chamber proper where they settle in determined'by numerous other factors, for example, the depth of the pockets formed in the drum. the volume of shot produced, etc.

As the drum rotates, the masses of shot in the pockets gradually cool, the chilling oi the surfaces of the masses adjacent the drum being accelerated by the cooling medium, preferably water, entering through line 48 and the perforations 46 in hollow shaft 42 and reaching the under surfaces of the bars. when thedrum is rotated suificiently so that the built-up masses of the shot reach roller II, the bars are tilted first in one direction and then the other through the pressure of roller 10 on" lugs or camming members 86. Due to this action and the cooling of unfiberized material or shot may then be used in recharsing'the cupola.

As illustrated particularly in Fig. '7, in lieu of the movable bars, the surface of the drum may members 66 adjacent one end and an outer face I merely be provided with ribs or abutments of any suitable character to provide pockets and the masses of shot formed therein removed by a picker roll or the like Ill extending the length of the drum and comprising stifl bristles or wires which strike against the shot masses and mechanically remove them from the pockets. The action of the picker roll together with the cooling of the inner surfaces of the masses through the use of a cooling medium as before breaks the masses from the surface of the drum. Also, either as a further aid to removal of the builtup masses or in lieu of the picker roll, a number of heavy weights may be placed in the interior of the drum and tumble therein during the rotation of the 'drum, the weights falling with such force on the inside of the drum as to jar the masses loose.

It will be understood that although the shotremoving apparatus has been shown and described as located in the entrance end of a blow chamber, it may be used with any suitable conventional fibre-collecting apparatus, as long as it is positioned to be struck by a stream of shot and fibres before the shot has cooled sufilciently to lose its semi-molten and adhesive characteraseae'os means for separating; the inflberized particles from the streamand for deflecting the stream, 'said last-named means comprising a rotatable pockets in the surface of said drum to retain said particles in the form of built-,up masses. and means for removing said built-up masses from said drum. 7"

2. In an apparatus for the manufactureof mineral wool, means for converting molten mapterial into a multiplicity of fibres and unfiberized particles suspended in a gaseous stream, and means for separating the unfiberized particles from the stream and for deflecting the stream,

- said last-named means comprising a rotatable drum in the path of said stream and sufflciently close to said first-mentioned means to receive said particles before they have cooled below an adhesive condition, an open space adjacent said drum for the passage of the deflected stream of gas and fibers, said drum comprising a plurality of members defining pocketstherebetween for receiving and retaining said adhesive particles in the form of built-up masses, and means for removing said masses from said pockets at a place remote from the point of contact of said stream on said drum.

3. In an apparatus for the manufacture of mineral wool, means for converting molten material into a multiplicity of fibers and unfiberized particles. suspended in a gaseous stream, and means for separating the unflberized particles from the stream, said last-named means comprising a rotatable drum in the path of said stream and sufliciently c1ose=to said first-mentioned means to receive said particles before they have cooled below an adhesive condition, said drumcomprising a multiplicity of adjacent elements defining the surface thereof and forming pockets to receive and retain said adhesive particles in the form of built-up masses, and means for rocking said elements to eject said masses from said pockets.

4. In an apparatus for the manufacture of mineral wool, means for converting molten material into a multiplicity of fibres and unfiberized particles suspended in a gaseous stream, and means-for separating the unfiberized particles from the stream, said last-named means comprising a rotatable drum in the path of said I stream and 'sufliciently close to said first-mew tioned means to receive said particles before they have cooled below an adhesive condition, said drum comprising a surface formed of a plurality of rockable bars having protuberances extending therefrom defining pockets therebetween for receiving and retaining said adhesive particles in the form of built-up masses, and means for rockin: said bars to remove said masses from said pockets, said last-named means being positioned at a place remote from said point of contact of said stream on said drum.

5. In an apparatus for the manufacture of mineral wool, means for converting molten material into a multiplicity of fibres and unfiberized particles suspended in a gaseous stream, and means for separating the unfiberized particles from the stream and for deflecting the stream, said last-named means comprising a rotatable drum in the path of said stream and sufllciently' close to said first-mentioned means to receive said drum for the passage of the deflected stream of particles before they have cooled below an adhesive condition, an open space adjacent said gas and suspended fibers, said drum including a surface having pockets to receive and retain said adhesive particles in the form of built-up masses. and means for introducing a cooling medium into the interior of said drum to chill the lower surfaces of said masses.

6. In an apparatus for the manufacture of mineral wool. means for converting molten material into a multiplicity of fibres and unfiberized particles suspended in a gaseous stream. and means for separating the unfiberized particles from the stream and for deflecting the stream, said last-named means comprising a rotatable drum in the path of said stream and sufllciently close to said first-mentioned means to receive said particles before they have cooled below an -of said masses, and means for removing said masses from said pockets.

7. In an apparatus for the manufacture of mineral wool, means'for converting molten material into a mulplicity of fibres and unfiberized 1 particles suspended in a gaseous stream, and

means for separating the unfiberized particles from the stream, said last-named means comprising a rotatable drum in the path of said stream and sufficiently close to said first-mentioned means to receive said particlesbefore they have cooled below ,an adhesive condition, said drum comprising a surface structure made up of a plurality of rockable bars including projecting lugs -defining pockets therebetween for receiving and retaining said unfiberized particles in the form of built-up masses, means for introducing a cooling medium into the interior of said drum to chill the under surfaces of said masses, means for rotating said drum and means for rocking said bars to remove said masses from said pockets, said last-named means being at a location remote from the'place of contact of said stream on said drum.

8. In an apparatus for the manufacture of mineral wool, means for converting molten material into a multiplicity of fibres and unfiberized particles suspended ina gaseous stream, and means for separating the unfiberized particles from the stream, said last-named means comprising a rotatable drum in the path of said stream and sufliciently close to said first-mentioned means to receive said Particles before they have cooled below an adhesive condition, said drum comprising a surface structure made up of a plurality of rockable bars having cam members and including projecting lugs defining pockets therebetween for receiving and retaining said unfiberized particles in the form of built-up masses, means for introducing a cooling medium into the interior of said drum to chill the under surfaces of said masses, means for rotating said drum, and means acting on said cam members for rocking said bars to remove said masses from said pockmineral wool, means for converting molten mate-' contact of said stream on discharging retaining said unfiberized particles in the form of built-up masses, an open space adjacent said baiiie for the passage of said deflected stream of gas and fibers, and means for removing said masses from said pockets and discharging them at a place outside of the blow chamber.

10. In an apparatus for the manufacture of mineral wool, means for converting molten material into a multiplicity of fibres and unfiberized particles suspended in a gaseous stream, a blow chamber for receiving said stream including an entrance adjacent said first-mentioned means, and means in said entrance for separating unflberized particles from said stream and for defleeting the stream, said last-mentioned means comprising a rotatable drum positioned to be struck by said stream above its center line, an open space above said drum for the passage of the deflected stream of gas and fibers, means on the surface of said drum to receive and retain said unfiberized particles in the form of built-up masses, means for rotating said drum with its upper surface moving generally tangential to and in the direction of movement of said stream, and means for removing said built-up masses from said drum.

11. In an apparatus for .the manufacture of mineral wool, means for converting molten material into a multiplicity of fibres and unfiberized particles suspended in a gaseous stream, a blow chamber for receiving said stream including an entrance port adiacent said first-mentioned means, said entrance port being defined in part by a moving surface extending into said blow chamber and generally across the normal path 5 of said stream whereby the stream of gas and the fibers therein are deflected into said port,

said surface including pockets for receiving and retaining said unfiberized particles in the form of built-up masses, means for moving said surface in the general direction of movement of said stream adjacent the point of contact of said surface with said stream and thereafter in a direction away therefrom to conveysaid masses to a place remote from said entrance, and means for said masses from said surface at said place. r

' 12. In an apparatus for the manufacture'of mineral wool, means for converting molten material into a multiplicity of fibres and unfiberized particles suspended in a gaseous stream and means for separatingfthe unflberized particles from the stream, said last-named meanscompris- 1 ing a rotatabledrum inthe path of said stream and suiiiciently "close to said first-mentioned means to receive said particles while they are in an adhesive condition, pockets in the surface of said drum to retain said particles in the form of built-up masses, means for introducing cooling water into the interior of said drum to chill the under surfaces oflsaid masses, and. a picker roll for removing said masses from said drum,

13. In anvapparatus for the manufacture oil mineral wool, means for converting molten material into a multiplicitypf fibres and unfiberized particles suspended in a gaseous stream and means for separating the unflberized particles from the stream, said last-named means comprising a rotatable drum in the path of said stream and sufllciently close to said first-aneutioncd means to receive said particles while they are in an adhesive condition, pockets in the surface of said drum to retain said particles in the teriai into a multiplicity of fibers and unfiberized particles suspended in a gaseous stream, the improvement comprising means for separating the unflberized particles from said stream and for deflecting the stream, including a movable baille inthe path of said stream sufliciently close to said fiberizing means to receive the particles while theyare in an adhesive state, and constructed and arranged to obtain adherence of said particles thereto, means to move said baiiie to carry said adhesive particles to a location out of the path of said stream, means for removing the particles from said baiiie at said location, and an open space adjacent said baiile for the stream v of gas andzilbers deflected by said baflie.

15. In an apparatus comprising fiberizing means for converting molten mineral wool material into a multiplicity of fibers and unfiberized' particles suspended in a gaseous'stream, the improvement comprising means for separating the unfiberized particles from' said stream and deflecting said stream, including a movable bafiie in the path of said stream sufficiently close to said fiberizing means to be contacted by said particles while they are in a partially molten, ad-

ment of the deflected stream therearound, said baille including means for receiving and retaining said adhesive particles, means to move said baiile to carry said adhered particles to a location out of the path of said stream, and means for removing the particles from said baflie at said location. I

EDWARD R. POWELL.

hesive condition, and positioned to permit move- 

